How did my marriage turn into this?

You barely remember how the conversation went, just the awful sensation as your throat clenched up and your stomach felt hollow.

You toss and turn trying to get some rest – hoping that if you can just get to sleep you’ll realize things are back to the way they were and you won’t have to deal with this.

Sure, things weren’t great, but they were normal. Everything seemed to be in it’s place.

There was the morning routine – making breakfast and getting the kids to school. A long day at the office and not nearly enough time at home in the evening. An hour or two of TV with your spouse, some time on the internet, or maybe a quick game on your phone when you had a precious spare minute.

It wasn’t the happily-ever-after life, but it wasn’t bad.

This is bad. All the little things that bothered you all of a sudden seem fairly trivial now that everything is about to change.

This is a disaster. Nothing is happening the way it should.

What’s worse is that it seems like your life is all of a sudden going to be entirely outside of your control. When the sink leaks, you call a plumber, because he knows more than you do about fixing sinks. You call, he fixes, you’re done. You’re in command and you call the shots.

This is no sink repair. You know that you need to talk to a lawyer for the same reason you need a plumber, but this isn’t a leaky faucet, this is your life, your family, your house, your retirement, your future. And you feel powerless, because you don’t know where the leaks are.

This is every holiday that your kids now have to spend split between parents.

This is the 401(k) balance that you secretly checked on your phone every day at work, and nurtured from that hard-earned first deposit so many jobs ago.

This is the conversation you have to have with your parents and friends where you tell them you’re getting divorced.

These things can’t just be fixed like a leaky faucet, because nobody knows about your life like you do. But how do you move forward when the whole system is so complicated?

Why can’t I get any answers?

Lawyers are scary. Not fangs and a cape scary, they’re scary because the law is scary, and they seem to make everything too opaque with legal terms and negotiations. Plus, they all seem to know each other – How do you know they’re not just making deals as favors to their friends?

When your brother got divorced, it seemed like the lawyers just ended up talking between themselves and came back with a “take it or leave it” deal that wasn’t much of a deal at all. Is that going to happen here?

Divorce seems like some black box where your whole life goes in one side and a sterile piece of paper comes out the other. Your life is now a just a “case”, your retirement is a “plan”, and your kids are “dependents”.

The lawyers know what goes on inside the box, but they don’t seem very keen on sharing that information with you. It’s like the whole system works by keeping you in the dark, even though you have the most at stake.

How will I survive this?

How are you going to afford this? Neither car is paid off and you’re expected to come up with who knows how much money to pay some lawyer.

How long will this go on? Are you going to have to pay every time you want to have a phone call about your own life?

When you had to get that parking ticket taken care of, the lawyer wanted you to fax him a copy of the ticket. FAX? Are these people stuck in 1995?

Are you going to have easy access to the court files and correspondence from your spouse’s attorney, or are you going to have to show up at the office to dig through a mountain of papers.

The burrito place down the street lets you make an online order from your phone, but these attorneys act like email is cutting edge. Why can’t things just go back to normal?

There’s got to be a better way

We’ve been different from the beginning, more than two decades ago. It’s just part of our DNA. It’s why we like to say, “Divorce is different here.”

Oftentimes our differences have made other lawyers unhappy, but that’s okay, because our clients have been very pleased.

No more secrets

Right from the start, back in 1990, we told the secrets that lawyers kept hidden. We demystified the divorce process, sharing the information that lawyers traditionally used to make things complicated.

Back then we did it at free seminars. Some lawyers hated us, others thought we were crazy.

Our clients didn’t think we were crazy. They weren’t in the dark, trying to decipher mysterious language and complicated procedures. The secrets we shared gave them knowledge and confidence about the options and costs of the divorce process.

Then along came the internet. In 1995 we built our first website and started giving away the secrets to anyone who would listen. That drove the other lawyers berserk.

Oddly, that just motivated us more. The more information we gave away, the more people called us and let us help. That’s how we became one of the largest family law practices in the Southeast.

We knew the secret to our success was to continue sharing these secrets with our clients. We got busy.

Take back control

Being busy motivated us to keep giving away information and educating the public. Education became the cornerstone of our philosophy.

Being busy gave us the insight to understand the anxiety caused by hourly billing. That’s why, more than a decade ago, we implemented fee certainty with fixed fees. We got rid of mysterious and unanticipated attorney fees. You’ll always know exactly what every decision and move costs.

Being busy also allowed us to implement the most advanced technology in the profession. We use it to streamline our internal processes and make our client’s data accessible and understandable. You’ll have 24/7 access to your information and can immediately track the progression of your case without anyone getting in your way.

Being busy helped us attract and hire some of the best people in the world. Our technological advantages allow our team to work remotely. That opened the door to hiring the best no matter where they choose to live and work. Of course, these experts are available to you in our offices as well as via video and voice conferencing.

So, as it turns out, giving away secrets isn’t crazy after all. People going through divorce tell us to keep doing what we’re doing, the way we’re doing it. Our clients love it when we take the information, the technology and the most amazing team you’ll ever meet and use it all to advance their cause. You will too.

The first step is protecting yourself

You never expected to have to deal with a divorce lawyer. Nobody does. Everything seems like a big mystery and your life feels like it’s in free-fall.

Your first step is to talk to us. We’ll set up a confidential, in-person meeting where we can sit down and talk about what happens next. We’ll discuss your situation, your family, and the things that matter most to you. Your meeting will result in an action plan plus an understanding of your rights and options.

You’ll come in confused and with lots of questions, but you’ll leave with a game plan and a clear idea of how to move forward with your life. Divorce is scary and can make you feel like your life is falling apart. We’re here to take you through the process with safety and security.

How much will this cost?

Worried about legal fees? Don’t be. With our straightforward, flat-fee structure you’ll know precisely what we charge and exactly what you’ll get for your money.

Our pricing is simple and your lawyer will provide a fixed fee based on the complexity of your situation. That way you’re not at the mercy and uncertainty of never-ending hourly billing.

Call us at 919-787-6668.

You will never feel ready, but you should feel informed.

If you’re on this page, it’s time to get ready. Starting the divorce process without knowing your rights and options can easily lead to disaster. Your entitlement to things like equitable division of the property and alimony can easily be forfeited if you don’t know what you’re doing.

Even if you’re still on the fence about divorce itself, it’s a good idea to know what’s involved.

Maybe you’ll find a way to put things back together – that’s great, we’ve built extensive resources to help you find a counselor who can help mend your marriage if that’s the best option.

Maybe you’ll decide to wait until your spouse makes the first move. The few days you have between receiving a legal complaint in the mail and being required to appear in court are not the time to be scrambling around for help.

You need clear answers now, while you have the time to think and act rationally. Don’t lose control of your finances, your kids and your future. It’s time to start.

This is intimidating. We understand.

We guide families to safety every single day. It’s all we do. No traffic tickets in the morning or wills in the afternoon, we’re exclusively dedicated to helping you through this unique process.

That’s why we say divorce is different here: there are no secrets, no mysteries. We take anxiety and distrust out of the picture by giving you complete knowledge and control of the process and its costs. You’ll have the information and confidence to make the decisions you need to move on with your life.

If you haven’t already, you can read our story to find out more.

If you find yourself hesitating to take action, read on for some perspectives we learned from our clients who were ambivalent about getting a lawyer involved. They were hesitant, and rightly so. We understand and we don’t take it personally. Keep reading for more of what they were thinking.

I don’t know where to start

Your world feels like it’s in a tailspin – navigating bureaucracy is the last thing you need.

Dealing with a parking ticket is enough of a nightmare – divorce can sometimes feel impossible to manage. Lawyers don’t have a great reputation for making things clear. They get their prestige and paychecks by keeping the process secret and charging you to fix things.

You can get all the information here – the forms to file, videos and articles about the issues, the statutes in question – everything.

But the process is still scary, and there are pitfalls that you can easily miss if this isn’t something you deal with every day like we do.

The last thing you need is to be worrying about what to file and where, dealing with court dates and judges, and playing detective when obstacles arise.

You have a life and a family to deal with, and we’re here to make sure that those remain your top priorities, not chasing paperwork and deadlines.

Your first step is to meet with a family law attorney to learn what’s at stake, learn how to protect yourself, and learn how to move forward to a place of safety.

I’m worried it’ll get ugly

You’re not happy about having a lawyer messing in your life. Hey, we’re lawyers and we don’t always like us.

But, waiting to call until it gets “really ugly” is a mistake.

You need answers before you enter this process. The last thing you need is to make decisions about your future, your children, and your finances without knowing what you’re doing.

You can get the answers you need without handing over control of your life to someone you don’t yet trust.

Above all else, we’re here to protect you and your family. We’re not out to earn reputations as bulldogs by picking unnecessary fights. Nobody “wins” in divorce, and we’re here to make sure that you’re safe and able to move on with your life.

Will lawyers make it worse?

It can certainly feel that way sometimes.

One lawyer takes action, the other responds, the husband and wife get sucked into the conflict and away we go.

That’s why we offer alternatives to the traditional process. We can help you with collaborative divorce, mediation and arbitration. We can also help you deal directly with your spouse and get things settled with minimal involvement by us.

We’ve found ways to avoid the old rules and systems so you can do it your way. We’ve all heard stories of courtroom horrors: the “my way or the highway” approach imposed on clients, $20,000 attorney fees, years of litigation and families end up feeling like their case got resolved in a backroom deal without their input or consent.

It doesn’t have to be that way.

Our motto is “Divorce is different here” because we truly do it differently.

* We hand control back to you.
* We do everything in our power to achieve a result that meets your expectations in the way you want it done.
* We help you control the costs, manage the conflict and stay in control.

You’ve got an idea about how your new life is going to look and we’re here to help you achieve your objectives.

Divorce truly is different here. If you’re ready to get started then we’re ready to help. Call us at (919) 787-6668.